


Magic

by EaSnowPw



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Insecure Stephen Strange, M/M, Magic, Multi, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:35:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23116336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EaSnowPw/pseuds/EaSnowPw
Summary: "Physical contact helps me recover my magic. I don't take it from you, it just helps me be more... open, I guess, to the surrounding energies.""Can you overcharge?""The heavy input of magical energy short circuits the nervous system. It's not painful, I was told. Instead it... it works like some sort of morphinomimetic drug.""So you get high.""Yes. Unnaturally so."
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark/Stephen Strange, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Comments: 18
Kudos: 204
Collections: IronStrange Bingo 2020





	Magic

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mistressstrange](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=mistressstrange).



> For the "Magic" square in last year's ironstrange bingo 😅
> 
> Morphinomymetic drug= heroin
> 
> Important: THIS WAS NOT MY IDEA! The original idea belongs to mistressstrange on Tumblr. I just forgot where I found it, but found it today. Credit where credit is due

It had taken Tony quite some time to notice it. Sure, coaxing a recluse wizard into joining their relationship had been a monstrous task in itself, and mostly achieved by Pepper. Now came the physical part, which honestly shouldn't have been that big of a deal at their ages.

Apparently, though, it was. Stephen used every excuse in the book to postpone it, which honestly drove the other two up the wall. They just wanted to love their third. Yes, kisses and hugs were great, but they wanted more. They were greedy as fuck, but who could blame them? He was gorgeous and hot and so kind it hurt to witness sometimes and he deserved to be spoiled.

Stephen almost fell through a portal into their bedroom, exhausted. Tony was the one who managed to catch him before he hit the floor, cloak limp on his shoulders. A dead giveaway of his exhaustion.

"Stephen? Talk to me, babe. Are you hurt?"

"No. Magic drain," came a soft mutter in response.

"Ok. Ok."

Pepper helped him get their wizard in bed, but he clung to them when they moved to let him rest.

"Stephen?"

His eyes fluttered open, Pepper coming into view.

"Stay?"

She couldn't deny him.

"Ok."

Tony spooned Stephen from behind and Pepper settled on his other side, softly running a hand through his hair. They figured he needed to feel safe while he was weakened.

In the morning, they woke up alone in bed. Stephen was making breakfast, looking amazing as always.

"How are you so chipper?" Tony complained. "You looked dead last night."

"I recovered. Thank you for having indulged me."

The wizard gave Tony a gentle kiss before he pressed a coffee mug into his hands. Pepper woke up with the same question and got the same answer. Still, something was poking at Tony's brain. A suspicion.

* * *

The poking grew when Wong asked one of them to spend the night with their sorcerer at the sanctum a few weeks later, mentioning something about Stephen being exhausted. Magic drain, again. This time, Pepper was at a meeting on the other side of the globe, so Tony held their man and offered him gentle kisses until he fell asleep.

Stephen was better in the morning, but not exactly chipper like the last time. Still, he was functional and he was a cuddle monster the whole day. Tony wouldn't complain.

* * *

After a few more instances, Tony came up with a hypothesis, which he shared with Pepper.

"He recharges from us."

"What?"

"He sucks on our energies while we're cuddling. Notice how he heals faster when we're snuggling? He's sucking on our energies. Now I just gotta figure out whether it's on purpose or not." Tony was frowning. 

"But I don't feel drained?" Pepper countered. She couldn't believe what Tony was suggesting. 

"I don't know. But he looks better when there's both of us. And maybe that's why he won't have sex with us? Maybe he just doesn't want to hurt us or something."

"Tony..."

"What? It makes sense. Maybe he's some sort of vampire. He needs to feed, so he took two of us. Maybe so we won't feel the drain." He was growing agitated. "Maybe he doesn't even like us that much and we were just convenient!"

"Tony." Pepper sighed and cupped his cheek, guiding him into a kiss. "Let's just talk to him."

"Okay. But I'm keeping the armour on."

They settled a date with Stephen.

* * *

"You're an energy vampire," Tony blurted out halfway through dinner. Stephen's eyes widened while Pepper smacked her husband.

"I..."

"What Tony is saying is twofold," the woman began, calmer. Stephen focused on her. "We noticed that your magic recovers faster when you spend the night with both of us." Stephen went pale. "We are amenable to that, but we would both appreciate knowing exactly what is happening." They both noticed his heavy gulp.

"And the other thing?"

"We'd rather settle them one at a time."

"I... umm... you deserve to know," he said with a resigned sigh. "I probably should have told you a long time ago, but I'll do it now." He took a deep breath. "Physical contact helps me recover my magic. I don't take it from you, it just helps me be more... open, I guess, to the surrounding energies."

"So like a charging battery," Tony deduced.

"Yes."

"Can you overcharge?" Stephen blushed at the engineer's question. "That's a yes and it brings us to issue number 2. What happens when you overcharge?"

"The heavy input of magical energy short circuits the nervous system. It's not painful, I was told. Instead it... it works like some sort of morphinomimetic drug."

"So you get high."

"Yes. Unnaturally so."

"So you get high every time you get laid," Tony finished. The sorcerer looked down. "Are magic orgies an actual thing?" He ignored Pepper's glare. 

Stephen nodded.

"Yes. It helps built up energy for difficult spells."

"Isn't it dangerous?" Pepper asked. "For you or those around you?"

"Not really. The energy could overflow, but in... harmless ways. Weak spells. I've never heard of anyone getting hurt during such events."

"Heard. Told," she noticed. "You haven't really tried for yourself, have you?"

Stephen shook his head, looking ashamed. No, he hadn't. He'd been a newbie, then entrusted with the sanctum. Before he'd even fully settled in, he'd agreed to join their relationship and it had seemed wrong to... cheat on them like that, though he had been invited.

"Were you going to tell us?"

"Yes, eventually. I kept postponing it, but I knew I had to. It's just... weird and difficult to talk about." And there were two of them. Had there only been one, perhaps he wouldn't have been so reluctant, particularly since he apparently had a big magic affinity. But with two people? He was sure to get overwhelmed. "I apologise for any inconvenience caused."

"I..." Tony traded a look with his wife, then put a hand on Stephen's shoulder, giving a light squeeze. "Hey, look. We... we like you, magic and all and... well, if you still want to give it a shot, I'm up for it."

"We both are," Pepper assured. "If you're... apprehensive, we understand." She extended a hand over the table in offering. Stephen covered it with his.

"Thank you. What was the second thing?"

"Why you wouldn't put out."

Pepper rolled her eyes at her husband's language. He was honestly incorrigible. Stephen just nodded. They'd checked that box.

* * *

He'd made sure to train beforehand, wearing out his magic. It probably wouldn't matter in the grand scheme of things, but at least he'd made an effort. The three of them enjoyed a pleasant dinner together, then headed into the bedroom.

Stephen was already feeling energised from the small touches during dinner, so he was getting nervous. And wasn't that a shame? He should have been getting ready to enjoy their first time together, not shaking with tension.

"Everything ok?" Tony asked, sitting next to him in bed. "You're getting that look."

"Which one?" Pepper asked, coming from the bathroom. "Oh, that one."

"Which look?" Stephen was confused.

"The one where you're hiding what you're feeling. The mask."

"You have names for my looks," he echoed, incredulous.

"Yes."

"Well, the mask was first," Tony admitted.

"Then came the open one," Pepper completed, thinking. "But we mostly talk about the mask. Cuz it's a bad one. And the hard mask."

Stephen hid his face in his hands. Tony laughed fondly. Pepper chuckled and tugged on the collar of his shirt.

"I'm sure you notice some things about us too."

Yes, he did. He noticed the way Tony looked at Pepper and how that had shifted towards himself on occasion. And how Pepper looked after a bad day at work, how she acted towards people she liked, people she didn't like and how she acted towards him. How Tony didn't like to be handed things. How Tony felt about his robots. The way Pepper acted when she was tired and overworked, when she sought affection. How Tony still had nightmares but preferred to leave the bed rather than wake up either of his partners.

"Some things, yes."

He didn't protest when Pepper began unbuttoning his shirt, Tony kissing him as a distraction.

"Can I use some simple spells?" he asked against the other man's lips.

"Such as?"

"Undressing you."

"Sure."

Stephen's hands lit up with the magical runes and he trailed them down Tony's shirt, opening his buttons. The engineer shivered at the soft tingle of magic, grinning when Stephen moaned against his mouth. Pepper was kissing up his neck, sliding his shirt off with practiced ease.

It went well, for a while, although it seemed that the other two were determined to focus on him. Normally, it would have been heart-warming, made him feel included, but, as it was, the extra sensory input eventually became difficult to navigate. It was a pity, really, that all the passion and devotion the other two were showering him with wasn't having the desired result. Even outside magical side effects, being between these two particular individuals would have been a mind-numbing experience. As in was, after a certain point, all Stephen could do was hold on and hope for the best, drunk off his own energy and falling into a bottomless pit of pleasure. Ideally, a more experienced sorcerer would be present, there to guide and assure him. As it was, Pepper had to make do, encouraging and reassuring him with gentle words.

He didn't remember cumming, not really. He just remembered a spark of light in his head, gasps of amazement and feeling like he was bursting open. Like he was overflowing. It bordered on painful for a few moments, until blissful darkness pulled him in.

* * *

He woke up tucked against Tony, who was fiddling with his tablet. Pepper was away, probably off to work.

"What time is it?" Stephen muttered, opening his eyes. He felt good, actually. Energised. 

"Somewhere after 10, but not 11," Tony replied, looking at him. "How do you feel?"

"Like I'd drunk 3 strong coffees. I'll be fine." Tont nodded distantly. "What happened?"

"Well, you were completely out of it after a certain point. Your hands got all glowy and your eyes were yellow. When you came our lightbulbs exploded and you summoned a swarm of butterflies. You were unresponsive, so we panicked a bit, but Friday said you were just sleeping."

Stephen groaned in embarrassment, hiding his face against the other man's shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Tony asked, incredulous. Stephen's heart squeezed painfully. "For real?" He didn't let the sorcerer pull away. "Stephen, you were out of it and we still had sex with you. You couldn't consent or protest but we had our way with you. Don't be sorry. We're just glad you're not angry."

"Did you do anything not agreed upon beforehand?"

"No."

"Then there is no reason for you to feel guilty. We had discussed everything in advance and I had agreed to have sex with you both, aware of what would happen. And it happened as we had discussed. And I liked it. That's it."

* * *

Stephen went about his day, enjoying the power surge. He ended up meditating in his room on Tony and Pepper's floor, astral projection moving around, far from his body. It was less exhausting to study that way. No sore back. No squinting, tiring his eyes. Just him and the book.

He returned to his body after a satisfying day, only for it to turn better. There was a warm body pressed against his back, feminine arms wrapped around his waist and a head resting on his shoulder.

"You back?" Pepper whispered.

Stephen tilted his head towards hers, hands moving to her knees which were thrown over his legs.

"Yes. How was your day?"

"Tolerable." She kissed his shoulder. 

"Yoga?"

"Please."

He stood up with a chuckle. Pepper had rediscovered her passion for yoga since they had started dating. It helped her relax after a long day. Tony didn't understand it, probably never would, but Stephen was a good partner/instructor.

They warmed up together, then started with a few easy poses. They were both in Downward Dog when Tony walked in.

"Is it my birthday?" he teased, enjoying the view of his two loves bent down, asses up.

Stephen and Pepper chuckled fondly. The woman stood up when Tony spanked her, watching as he moved to their third. Stephen pulled himself up, but didn't have time to turn around before Tony had pulled him into his arms, deliberately trying to smack him too. Stephen tried to twist out of the way, yelping when Pepper spanked him.

"Hey!"

"My shot, Tony. I've been staring at that ass for longer."

"Not fair."

Stephen huffed in mock annoyance. Tony kissed him, only releasing him from his arms after he'd started returning it. Stephen slid away, hiding behind Pepper. Tony tried to follow, but she side stepped him, slapping his butt. He gave her an utterly betrayed look. Stephen wrapped his arms around their necks, laughing happily.

"I love you both so much."

Stephen froze when the words were out. His heart beats picked up until there was nothing else he could hear. No. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. He was going to wait longer, figure out what the other two wanted from him, but he had let his guard down. He'd let himself be vulnerable, exposed-

"We love you too, Stephen," Pepper said first, placing a kiss on his cheek. It had the desired effect of wiping that frightened look off his face. "We just didn't want to scare you off with these words."

"We fell in love with you quite a while ago," Tony confirmed. "I love you, Merlin."

Stephen squeezed them closer, relieved. He was loved. His feelings were returned.

* * *

A year later, Stephen woke up to something tickling his back.

"What are you doing, Tony?" he grumbled.

"How did you know it wasn't Pepper?"

"She respects my sleep. I respect hers. You're the only one who has no respect for it, be it ours or yours."

Tony chuckled, but he didn't stop. Stephen shivered, tensing. He eventually had to roll to his back when the other man wouldn't relent. That didn't serve its purpose. Tony simply started tickling his chest. He was more tactile than his lovers, always wanting to touch.

"I love you, but I will teleport you into the swimming pool if you keep this up."

"How about you let me kiss that frown off your face and start your day?"

"Hmm, no. My first day off in years and you ruin it."

"Morning blowjob as an apology?"

"You're just horny, jackass. Go take care of yourself and let me sleep."

"Nah, I'm specifically horny for you and those butterflies you make when you cum."

"Lies."

"Truth." Stephen rolled his eyes. "Come on."

The sorcerer huffed and threw the blanket off himself, pulling his dick out.

"That's as far as I'm helping you."

* * *

Tony was disappointed by the number of butterflies, less than half of what he usually got. Still, Stephen was lucid this time. He looked around in wonder at the butterflies flying around the room. With an extra gesture, he made sure they wouldn't vanish anytime soon.

"Does this always happen?"

"Yep," the other man confirmed, settling next to the sorcerer.

A butterfly landed on Stephen's hand, holding on despite the trembling limb. Stephen watched it, thoughtful. Usually, he was too out of it to notice them, many times even falling asleep. He had got himself a rune that was supposed to help and it did, but marginally. Still, he could stay awake after sex and was more drunk than sedated. Small mercies.

"They're beautiful," he said, amazed by his own ability.

"Just like you."

Tony noticed Stephen's guarded expression at that, but didn't comment on it. It had been a long struggle for him and Pepper, but Stephen at least didn't respond with self-deprecating comments anymore. It was a step in the right direction.

"Do you want me to do anything about that?" Stephen asked, waving towards Tony's crotch.

The shorter man shrugged, unsure. Normally, he'd jump at the opportunity, but...

"Not in front of the butterflies."

"Really?" Stephen gave him a look. "They're not sentient."

"Don't be mean to your magical babies. They came from the same place as your real ones would."

"No."

"Yes."

"Tony, they're-"

"Nope."

Stephen groaned and stood up, getting out of bed.

"For that, I'm letting you take care of yourself."

"Don't be like that, Stephie!" Tony whined.

* * *

Stephen was waiting for the coffeemaker when a strong pair of arms wrapped around his waist, pulling his back tight against Tony's front. The shorter man rested his lower arms on the other's hips, crossed over his belly, smiling. Stephen had always been thin and lanky, too much so shortly after Thanos. Tony used to be able to fit both his wrists in one hand. That was completely unacceptable for a man his age. These days, Stephen had filled out some, gaining a healthy amount of weight. His body type seemed to be long and thin, but at least he didn't look like the wind could take him.

"Hello, you meanie."

"You said yourself you didn't want to traumatise my poor magic by-products," Stephen replied with a scoff.

Tony pinched at his middle, mentally cheering at the fact that he had something to grab.

"The bathroom was available."

"Have some mercy on my knees."

"I'm sorry, I wasn't aware your highness required special conditions when sucking my dick." Tony bit at the pale shoulder in front of him in reprimand.

"I made you coffee, has to count for something." He'd changed strategies. And just in time. The machine pinged.

"Temporary truce."

Stephen chuckled and got two mugs. Tony poured the coffee and they cuddled on the couch in the living room. They had a routine by then. Stephen would levitate his book over while Friday projected a few holograms for Tony to fiddle with. They usually stayed like that until one of them had somewhere else to be.

* * *

Pepper came home to a few butterflies in the living room. She rolled her eyes.

"You couldn't have waited five more minutes?"

"Those are from this morning," Tony informed her. "Stephen magicked them permanent."

"Where is he?"

"Kamar Taj. Probably won't be back today."

"Oh. Did anything happen?"

"I don't know. But hey, you've got your loving husband all for yourself." Tony grinned.

"My loving husband who missed this morning's meeting." She glared.

"I'm a loving husband, not a good employee."

Pepper rolled her eyes with a smile, accepting Tony's embrace. She settled down at his side and told him everything about her day.

* * *

Stephen returned a week later, late at night. He magically changed into his pyjamas and crawled in bed next to Pepper. Tony was nowhere to be seen, probably on another working binge. Still, Friday must have alerted him, because he settled in on Stephen's other side before the sorcerer could fall asleep.

"Ok?" Tony whispered in his ear.

"Yeah. Tired." Stephen shifted a bit, looking for a comfortable position, which turned out to be squeezed between the other two.

* * *

"Mask off," Pepper complained when she found Stephen sitting on their couch, deep in thought.

He smiled weakly, but it didn't reach his eyes. Still, he allowed his face to shift into one of concern.

"I'm sorry."

"You're not, but we love you anyway."

His smile was more heartfelt this time and he accepted her sitting down next to him.

"Trouble at Kamar Taj," he explained. 

She hummed in thought, cuddling up against him. Stephen wrapped an arm around her, leaning his body into hers.

"Need help?"

"No, it's just something I need to organise a bit."

"Mkay."

They stayed like that for about half an hour, until Stephen kissed her forehead, burrowing into her. It was cute, how a man significantly taller was trying to nest into her arms.

"Where's Tony?" he asked as soon as they came to what he deemed an appropriate position. Basically Pepper leaning against the side of the couch with Stephen cuddled close in her arms.

"He's got a few terrorists to terrorize."

Stephen chuckled fondly, by now enjoying the mild buzz of magic seeping into his body.

He must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew, a familiar weight was none too gently falling on top of him with a huff.

"You're going to kill me," the sorcerer complained. 

"I'm already dead," Pepper echoed.

"I feel so unloved. Your missing lover had just returned from a potentially life-ending mission and this is how you greet him?" Tony complained. Stephen's arms moved over the other man, magic pouring out to check on him. Tony knew what he was doing. "Now you choose to care?"

"You woke him up, Tony."

"I wasn't sleeping."

"Sure you weren't, all swaddled up in your cloak like a baby," Tony retorted.

Stephen's eyes widened. He hadn't even noticed the Cloak.

"I wasn't sleeping!" He squirmed to make the Cloak leave and it seemed to huff at him while it flew off.

Tony laughed from on top of him, Pepper from under. He was trapped.

Still, he relaxed when Tony found himself a comfortable position and joined their cuddle pile.

* * *

Both her boys suffered from nightmares. The advantage was that they knew how to handle each other. So when she woke up to an empty bed one night, she knew something had happened. It was just a matter of who had been plagued by nightmares.

A quick investigation found her lovers in the living room, Stephen wrapped around Tony while he was anxiously fiddling with his tablet. She whispered a greeting, announcing her presence.

"Hey, Pep," Tony whispered in response. Stephen didn't acknowledge her. Still, this was weird. Tony would usually hold Stephen back. And his voice betrayed an unusual tension.

Oh, this was one of those nights. She went to get a blanket for Stephen, then wrapped it around both of them, hugging Stephen tight. This close, she could hear his soft whimpers.

"Do you need Tony, or just to be held?" she muttered when he seemed to have marginally calmed down.

"Latter."

"Then come here."

He nodded and shifted to squeeze her rather than Tony, who watched them with a guilty look on his face.

"I can-"

"Whatever you need." Pepper made sure to look him in the eye. "I've got him."

Tony seemed to deflate, then spun around and headed straight to the lab.

They were different, her boys. Stephen needed to ground himself, to be cuddled and feel human warmth. He rarely left their bed and, if neither of them was awake, would just sit between them, soaking up the heat, maybe wrap himself around one of them. Tony needed to be in his lab, to feel productive. He was skittish, anxious. Staying still hurt. He only needed company for like 10 minutes, then he was off.

"Do you want to go back to bed?" Pepper offered.

In response, Stephen teleported them there. Pepper was on her back, arms full of sorcerer. She held him back, rubbing his head and messing his hair.

"I'm sorry."

They'd had this talk many times. Sorry about a house they never bought, a daughter they never had... or would they? She shelved the thought for later.

"We're happy," Pepper assured.

"You would be happier if-"

"You don't know that. We know this and we like it. We're happy."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not."

She held him until Tony returned to bed around sunrise.

* * *

Some older sorcerers had explained to Stephen that he would eventually get used to the magic overload and at least be somewhat lucid. He had even added the rune to compensate for having two partners. Still, it didn't occur to him that he was getting better until he found himself thrusting into Pepper one night, Tony taking him from behind.

It occurred to him randomly, while Pepper was dragging him into a kiss, that this was unusual. That this was new. He could feel Tony against his back. He could hear him rambling. He could feel Pepper. He was there, in the moment, with them.

He still made butterflies when he came, but his lovers seemed to enjoy that part. He couldn't bring himself not to be embarrassed by it, probably never would.

"Are you with us?" Tony muttered. 

Stephen nodded, smiling when he felt Pepper take his hand. She would probably sleep in the middle that night.

"I love you," he said, tilting his head to the side to catch a glimpse of them through the darkness.

Their answers echoed through the night, warming his heart.

* * *

"Stephen? Come here, please," Pepper called from the living room one day.

He'd just arrived at the penthouse, barely even changed out of his sorcerer robes. What could be so urgent?

He hurried there. Tony and Pepper were both on the couch, leaving an open seat in the middle. He took it, glancing at each of his partners. They seemed nervous.

"Tony? Pepper?"

They each took one of his hands in theirs.

"We..." Pepper began, but stopped, looking at her husband.

Tony sighed.

"We love you. And we appreciate you."

"You belong here, with us."

"I love you too," he replied, growing more and more confused. "What is this about?"

"We want..." Tony exchanged a look with Pepper, then they slid to their knees in front of Stephen. Tony fiddled with a little box in his pocket before opening it. Stephen's eyes widened. "Well, we would want you to marry us, but this is the next best thing."

"Join us, Stephen. Officially."

The sorcerer stared at them for a moment, mouth parted open. He tried to speak a few times, but no words came out. The other two could see the tears glistening in his eyes, so they waited. Pepper reached for one of his hands to squeeze reassuringly. Stephen nodded.

"Yes," he finally managed. Once the word was out, the next were easier. "Yes, yes. 100 times yes. Oh my God."

The other two quickly stood up and hugged their third. Stephen had tears in his eyes, laughing happily. They stayed like that for a few moments, Tony and Pepper slowly sliding to cuddle their sorcerer on the couch. Eventually, he took the ring, staring at it with a slightly sad smile. He probably wouldn't be able to wear it because of his hands, but he appreciated the gesture.

"It's made of nanites," Tony explained. "You won't even feel it."

Stephen smiled, leaving a quick kiss on Tony's temple.

"I love you."

Pepper helped him put it on. Stephen stared at his shaking hand, overjoyed and overwhelmed. The other two cuddled close at his side. Stephen hugged them both. He was loved. He belonged.

* * *

Later, they would decide that while a wedding wasn't exactly feasible, they would still celebrate with a small party. He was important and they needed everyone to know that. They organized it on their wedding anniversary so everyone would remember and celebrate it.


End file.
